With the announcement of The Many Saints Of Newark, a prequel to The Sopranos, I thought it would be time to finally review this influential series. There are so many amazing series like Breaking Bad and Mad Men that we just wouldn't have gotten if not for The Sopranos and its iconic villain protagonist (no, he's not an antihero!), but looking back, I think its first season got it the most right.
The Sopranos is a show about the DiMeo crime family, a group of mobsters from New Jersey at the end of the millennium, so during the middle of the mob's decline in power. With so many mafia films and stories taking place far earlier on, this new time period feels really fresh even today, as the characters reference The Godfather, struggle with far more aggressive police crackdowns, and just the generally unsure vibe of post 9/11 America in later seasons. As a whole though, Season 1 is about a fight for power as the previous boss of the family dies a few episodes into the season, as the main protagonist Tony wars with his Uncle Junior, ultimately spiral into an attempted assassination by the end of the season. It's a simple but effective mobster story that slowly builds in intensity as the season progresses, ending with my personal favorite finale of the series. The other big draw of the series is seeing Tony have to go to a psychiatrist (Dr Melfi) in secret after having panic attacks. I always thought that Tony and Melfi's interactions are some of the best parts of the series, giving us a unique insight into a mobster's psyche, and Season 1 definitely has the most of them.
Sopranos has a massive cast thanks to its large crime family, yet most of them are pretty memorable in their own right thanks to great acting and writing. Christopher, Carmella, Livia, Silvio, Meadow, and of course Melfi, are all amazing and interesting characters that get just enough time to shine throughout this first season, while still not overshadowing the main attraction, Tony himself. Tony Soprano is an amazing protagonist because he plays around with your expectation of who a protagonist is. On a surface level, he feels affable enough and the fact that he has to go to therapy drums up a bit of sympathy. However, this show also doesn't let you forget that he's a temperamental mobster who does some really awful things. He's not an antihero, Tony isn't heroic in the slightest, but he is an incredibly compelling and nuanced character that's still really fun to watch, especially thanks to James Gandolfini's amazing performance. His iconic smirk, the way he builds to his outbursts and panic attacks, the sheer acting on show is easily one of the best acting performances in television.
While the entire season is pretty consistently strong, these were the highlights for me:
The Sopranos: This pilot feels like an excellent mission statement for the series, using Tony's first session with Melfi to introduce us to the show's cast and setting. It's not all exposition though, with plenty of dark mob-related violence to emphasize the fact that these characters are not good people. Oh, and that duck scene is iconic.
College: Given how many people Tony ends up killing throughout the show, it's easy to wonder why his first kill was such a big deal. At the time, having the protagonist commit cold-blooded murder was pretty much unseen, making this one of the most important episodes of TV. Nowadays, however, if you don't know the context, College might not seem as special. Thankfully, this is still a really well-crafted episode with two compelling parallel storylines, a tense cat and mouse game between Tony and the victim, and some great cinematography.
Nobody Knows Anything: Kickstarting the amazing final stretch that ends off the season, Nobody Knows Anything lays the groundwork with Junior and Livia's alliance against Tony. But aside from that set-up, this episode focuses on the constant suspicion the members of the mob have towards each other as Tony and Silvio try to figure out if Pussy is a mole, and it's not the last time he's going to be suspected of this...
Isabella: The first of several dream-y episodes of The Sopranos, Isabella initially seems like an episode about Tony hallucinating the titular idealized girl. And then the assassination happens, easily one of the most tense scenes in the series and one of Tony's nearest-to-death experiences. Thankfully (and obviously), he survives and prepares to get revenge in the next episode.
I Dream Of Jeannie Cusamano: This is my favorite finale in The Sopranos, Jeannie Cusamano resolves the main storyline, ties up all of the loose ends, and gives some set-up for Season 2. Every character gets something to do, even minor characters like Phil and Artie, and the decision to deny Tony of the satisfaction of revenge is one of the best instances of anti-climax in the series. By the end of the finale, Melfi was sent out of town, Tony is made capo, Junior is put under arrest, and Season 1 had just solidified itself as a very tough act to follow for Season 2.
Overall, Season 1 is still my favorite Sopranos season. It lacks any low points and slowly builds to an amazing conclusion, while remaining centered and focused around one of the greatest characters in television history.
5/5 Stars
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